Tuesday, June 29, 2010

To give our volunteers a chance to relax a bit this summer, we are going to cancel the monthly conference calls for the PMP Exam Study Group, PM Job Shop, and PM Best Practices for July and August.

However, the weekly virtual PMP study group will continue.

We will be back in September revitalized and ready to help our PMs make a difference!

In the meantime, we still need volunteers!

We will train for all positions & would appreciate at least a one year commitment1. Podcast Editors - about 2 to 3 hours to learn, 1 to 2 hours per month after that2. Co-host of PMJOBSHOP call - 2 hours per month3. Someone to arrange and coordinate speakers for PMJOBSHOP - about 1 to 2 hours per month4. Co-host of PM Best Practices call - 2 hours per month5. Someone to arrange and coordinate speakers for PM Best Practices - about 1 to 2 hours per month6. Someone to help with volunteer coordination - 2 to 4 hours per month7. Someone to post podcasts - about 2 hours per month8. co-webmaster - someone to help with webmaster - maybe 2 hours per month

If you're interested, use the "contact us" link on our website.

Join us in our goal of assisting Project Managers to help Project Managers to make a difference!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

What: FREE PM Lessons Learned conference call

Topic: "Turning Around a Failing Project”

Presenter: Rick A. Morris, OPM3, PMP, ITIL Practitioner

Hosted by: Henry Will IV, PMP; PMlessonsLearned.com founder

When: Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 9 PM (Eastern US) (GMT-5)

Where: Conference Dial-in: (712) 432-0175, Access Code: 767 616#

Presentation: Prior to the call, the presentation will be made available (note: it may not be posted until just before the call). The directions to obtain the presentation are at PMlessonsLearned.com - on the left hand side of the webpage follow the link titled "Files and Presentations" to see directions for obtaining the presentation.

=======================Abstract of the presentation:One of the most sought after topics for project managers is how to deal with failing projects or even how to turn them around. When industry figures show a variation of 60-82% of projects failing, it is easy to see why so many seek this information. In typical Rick Morris style, this session will not be full of theories or textbook options. Instead, it will be an introspective look into actualexperiences and a telling of true lessons learned. Rick made a name for himself at Fortune 100 companies for his ability to quickly analyze, understand, and put plans in motion to turn around failing projects. Some of the stories will include:

Dealing with difficult Sponsors

Dealing with an unresponsive and unsupportive direct manager

Turning around software development as well as IT Services projects

Dealing with ethical/moral issues

Rick will also discuss some of his personal failures in trying to bring a project back to life. As in every situation, there are times when a project will simply fail. Rick will discuss some of the difficult lessons that he learned in some of the most trying times of his career.

Rick is currently the Owner/President of R2 Consulting, LLC. Rick is an accomplished project manager and public speaker. His appetite for knowledge and passion for the profession makes him a sought after speaker at PMI chapters, various civic organizations, and a frequent guest lecturer at local universities.

He holds the PMP (Project Management Professional), MPM (Masters of Project Management), OPM3 (Organization Project Management Maturity Model), Six Sigma Green Belt, MCITP, MCTS, MCSE, TQM, ATM-S, ITIL, and ISO certifications. Rick has worked for organizations such as GE, Xerox, and CA and has consulted to numerous clients in a wide variety of industries including financial services, entertainment, construction, non-profit, hospitality, pharmaceutical, retail, and manufacturing. Rick has two books (“The Everything Project Management Book”, 2nd Edition published by Adams Media and “Project Management That Works!” published by AMACOM) that were released in 2008.

An active member of the Project Management Institute and currently the Past President of the Birmingham Chapter, Rick is no stranger to being center stage in front of large groups of people.

At the early age of 11, Rick was a Walt Disney World Performer in their seasonal shows. In high school, he worked at MGM Studios on various projects including the New Mickey Mouse Club.

Taking the experience of his youth and blending it with the knowledge he attained throughout his career, Rick has been able to inspire and mentor many project managers. His blend of real world experience and down to earth delivery style makes his passion for the profession contagious.:

=======================About the Conference Call:Conference call participation is free and questions are encouraged. Long distance charges may apply depending on your carrier - some cell phone companies allow free long distance after certain times in the evenings.

Conference Dial-in: (712) 432-0175, Access Code: 767 616#

PMlessonsLearned.com: Project Managers helping Project Managers to make a difference!